OUCH: Man Hikes 1100 Miles And Summits All Colorado 14er’s In 43 Days
I just recently hiked and summited my very first 14'er a couple of weeks ago and it was unbelievably awesome. LITERALLY, the first thing I thought of when I got back down the mountain and to my car was, "Where and when is my next one going to be?"
Now, due to exhaustion, including legs that felt like rubber by the time I made it down to the car, the thought of immediately going to summit another one was THE. LAST. THING on my mind. So that's what makes Pawel Szafruga's accomplishment that much more incredible to me.
This man not only summited all 58 Colorado 14er's, but he also did it without the use of a car, bike, or any other mode of transportation to get from trail to trail. He hiked every bit of the way. The whole journey, up and down the mountains and going from trail to trail was done on foot and tallied up over 1100 miles...in 43 days.
Pawel's journey began on July 14th and recently ended on August 26., and he said that his body is still feeling the effects of his efforts. He's currently suffering some liver issues and a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which results in the body breaking down its own muscles amid extreme and prolonged strain. Not to mention his feet and the pounding that they took.
I just can't even begin to imagine how difficult this had to be, not only from the physical grind but the fact that he slept in a bivy sack for ALL but 3 nights (when he stayed in a hotel) and that he managed to carry several days worth of food at a time.
Here are some incredible numbers that put things in perspective and make this that much more incredible and cause me some serious pain just thinking about it.
All of the distance up the peaks, down the peaks, and between the peaks was traveled by foot and spread between three pairs of trail running shoes. Pawel totaled 1,182.5 miles and 297,000 feet of vertical gain – an average of 27.3 miles and 6,800 vertical feet per day.
For more on this man's incredible and inspiring journey, click HERE.